Joshmaul the Warlock
In a rare story crossover, Joshua Underwood made his main character, Kiran Joshmaul, transcend into the World of Warcraft as Joshmaul the Warlock. Origins The orc shaman Urgan (born approximately 587 in Stonard, Swamp of Sorrows, Azeroth) was a young and idealistic member of the Horde. He was a formidable fighter against the Scourge during the Third War, having racked up an impressive number of kills (not too hard, considering that the undead numbered legion - or so it was said). He began training other shamans in the Valley of Trials, in the new orc kingdom of Durotar in Kalimdor, after the Third War ended. But four years after the final battle at Mount Hyjal, his world ended... The vengeful spirit of a powerful human named Kiran Joshmaul (who had been killed in 2501 in the Star Trek universe), had crossed the dimensional plane and entered the world of Azeroth. Seeking a strong body to host his powerful soul, Joshmaul possessed the body of the young shaman, forcing the young orc's soul out of its own body. Joshmaul changed the body to his liking, turning the braided hair stark white and growing a shaggy white beard. After he was satisified with his new body, Joshmaul drank deep of the details of the world he had entered. He found that there were humans here, and that the world of Azeroth was a very medieval myth-like society with knights, wizards and monsters. He found that the race of the shaman he had possessed, the orcs, had a primitive yet honor-bound society, oriented around combat and the betterment of the soul. But Joshmaul was not interested in being a "nature lover" - he craved power. He found it in the form of demonic warlock magic, which he found - to his surprise - that he had a natural affinity for. Fighting for the Horde Note: This is from the perspective of Underwood playing Joshmaul; the situations described herein are in no way unique to the character. Joshmaul began his service to the Horde by battling renegade warlocks of the Burning Blade, as a major test of his new powers. He found he could manipulate the shadow magic without much effort, and trained almost exclusively in the school of Demonology. After defeating the Burning Blade and learning to summon his first demon, the imp, Joshmaul left the Valley of Trials and ventured to the orc outpost of Razor Hill, where he was called on to kill the humans inhabiting the ruins of Tiragarde Keep, the outpost of the late Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore. Finding that Proudmoore had left orders to a Lieutenant Benedict in the ruined keep, Joshmaul delivered the information to Nazgrel, Thrall's chief general, at Grommash Hold in the capital of Orgrimmar. Afterwards, he travelled the troll village of Sen'jin, on Durotar's southern coast. The trolls had been forced to leave the nearby Echo Isles by a crazed witch doctor named Zalazane. In order to gain the respect of the trolls, Joshmaul ventured to the largest Echo Isle and, after a feverish battle, killed the crazed witch doctor and his slaves. After he had done his work in Durotar and gained his second demon, Joshmaul travelled west from Razor Hill into the Barrens, to the village known as the Crossroads, where his battles continued. His most noted conflict at this stage was facing the dwarves in their fortress of Bael Modan, in the southern Barrens, who were deemed by the Horde to be a genuine threat. It was around this time that Joshmaul joined the Royal Undercity Mounted Police, or just "Royal Undercity Mounties". He trained extensively with them for many months, his most notable confrontation at this time being the attack on Shadowfang Keep, in the blighted forest of Silverpine. Battling Powerful Foes Joshmaul, accompanied by a party led by the undead warrior Xanatoros, entered the ruined keep to find out what had happened to Deathstalkers Adamant and Vincent. Vincent, he discovered, was found dead on the other side of the fence separating the entrance from the courtyard, while Adamant had been imprisoned in Shadowfang's cell block. After freeing Adamant and making his way into the courtyard, Joshmaul and his party entered the dining hall where they confronted the ghost of the keep's former noble, Baron Silverlaine, and defeated him. Fighting through worgen-infested halls, Joshmaul finally managed to reach the inner sanctum of the Archmage Arugal, the ruler of Shadowfang, and confronted him. Joshmaul inflicted a powerful curse on Arugal that forced the weak Archmage to speak in the tongue of demons, thus making his connection to magic even slimmer before finally killing him, and taking his head to Dalar Dawnweaver at the Sepulcher. After defeating Arugal, Joshmaul and the Mounties ventured through Blackfathom Deeps in Ashenvale and slew the beasts within. Joshmaul left the Mounties for a time and joined the Order of Vestige, where he fought for some time - gaining more power along the way. He was accompanied by members of the order into the Scarlet Monastery in Tirisfal Glades, where he had been called upon to kill the leadership of the Scarlet Crusade there. In a confrontation with High Inquisitor Whitemane, Joshmaul took the peaked cap from her head and took it as his own, wearing it as a sort of crown - then he killed her. Then he returned to the Barrens to confront the Scourge agents that had inhabited the quillboar fortress of Razorfen Downs, eventually entering into combat with the lich Ammenar the Coldbringer. Aided by the druid Ripa, Joshmaul destroyed Ammenar and took his dagger and robes for himself. Eventually, Joshmaul left Vestige and rejoined the Royal Undercity Mounties. In another run through the armory of the Scarlet Monastery, aided by the undead rogue Grailen, Joshmaul finally gained enough power to summon a Felsteed - a dark horse with burning eyes and hooves, snorting flames from its nostrils - to serve as his mount. He has also entered into an alliance with the undead priest Sekhesmet of Stratholme, who provides the warlock with potions he requires in exchange for gold and powerful items. Currently Joshmaul currently resides at the Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale, with occasional flights to the goblin port of Booty Bay and his host's hometown of Stonard in Swamp of Sorrows. He has also travelled to Kalimdor via zeppelin from Grom'gol to Orgrimmar or the boat from Booty Bay to Ratchet in the Barrens. Demons in His Service Joshmaul currently has five demons in his service: *Garyal: An imp, the first that Joshmaul was able to manipulate. Garyal serves primarily as his messenger, but has formidable spells of its own. *Phandok: A voidwalker, and the chief fighter defending Joshmaul against all foes. *Vilyla: A succubus - the "dominatrixes of demonkind", as humans have described them. It is primarily used when fighting humanoids who are more suseptible to the wiles of seductive demons. *Kreegrom: A felhunter - the "hounds of the Nether". Often used when battling foes with magic. *The Felsteed: Joshmaul's Felsteed, despite its small size compared to the muscular orc, is actually strong and fast. Joshmaul has named his steed Kharleth, which means lord of war in the tongue of Chaos. He does not yet have, but will have the ability to summon, the following: *Doom Guard: The footsoldiers of the Burning Legion; notoriously unstable to control, it is unlikely that if Joshmaul were able to summon such a monster, he would only have momentary control over it. *Infernal: Much like the Doom Guard, the fiery rock-beasts are notoriously unstable to control. *Dreadsteed of Xoroth: The mount of the highest warlocks, attainable only by a certain quest given by his warlock masters. The Dreadsteed is a much more fiery, armor-plated beast with great spikes protruding from its scaly flesh. Joshmaul has seen the Dreadsteed in his future and has called it Ghurshy'ish'phak, or Beast of the Apocalypse in the tongue of Chaos. (Note: This name was taken from Warhammer Fantasy Battles; in that medium, Ghurshy'ish'phak - also known as Dorghar, Yrontalie, or simply the Steed of the Apocalypse - was the Chaos steed ridden by Lord Archaon the Everchosen, commander of all the Chaos legions.) Category:RPGCategory:Warcraft